(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to walking assistance devices and, more particularly, to a device to aid walking for persons having Parkinson's disease.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Typically, prior art walking supports having additional features or components to aid a user having Parkinson's disease include an extended rod or light beam, usually attached to a cane. However, neither the light beams or the extended rods, which are generally parallel to the floor surface, present a true 3-D obstacle to the user, and are not always effective to stimulate the brain to perceive an obstacle and therefore promote a walking/stepping motion. Thus, there remains a need for a true 3-D obstacle to be presented by a device that is removably connectable to a cane and having properties of automatically extending between a first and second, extended position to ensure that the user does not stumble over it.